Time Timer
Visual timers make the passage of time tangible, helping individuals better understand and manage it. The clear countdown reduces anxiety by providing predictability and structure for tasks or activities and encourages sustained focus and engagement by offering continuous, non-verbal feedback.
By teaching time management, visual timers empower individuals to monitor and complete tasks on their own. Over time, this builds confidence and reduces reliance on constant supervision. Consistency and routine provided by timers promote self-reliance, enabling individuals to develop greater autonomy in their daily lives.
Visual timers ease transitions by helping individuals mentally prepare for changes, as they can see time winding down. The clear cue of a countdown makes shifting between tasks smoother and less stressful. This not only benefits individuals but also creates a calmer and more structured environment for caregivers.
My current class of special needs students, grades K-2 are all on the ASD spectrum and require constant redirection. I have a vintage time timer (20 years old) that is in constant use. Concrete visuals are most effective, and this disappearing red timer is easily understood by them all. I have managed to find one newer version that comes in a wonderful kid proof case that I use for controlling calm down time. I can see a timer colored coded for each student as a very productive way to assist in behavior modification that can be set up to meet their ever changing needs. Without the timers I would not have time to spend teaching, I would be answering the time old question: is it time yet?
I have used the Time Timer since they came out. I have worked with students with cognitive disabilities, Autism, physical disabilities, medically fragile, and emotional disabilities. This timer has helped students with remembering activities, self-regulating behavior, timing their work to take their own data and see improvement, with cooking, games and very, very importantly, not needing to ask the teacher "Is it time yet?" what can seem like a million times a day. The bottom line is it fosters independence which is a deep and basic human need to feel successful.
Research demonstrates that Time Timer is an extremely effective aid in teaching time awareness for children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, Autism and a wide variety of other learning disabilities. Since its beginning, Time Timer quickly became a proven solution and the gold standard among professional experts and individuals within the community.
Read the articleThis research study demonstrates how a pair of students receiving special education support in a public school district utilized the Time Timer watch to engage in a self monitoring procedure meant to positively reinforce and facilitate independence.
Read the article
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